Need feedback on New Tank Please

[alvarado41]

I'm new to the Saltwater aquarium and would love some feedback ( good or Bad ) I want to learn from the best. So I am in need of all your help.
I have a 50gal. tank. a Fluval 303 with all the chemicals, a Jebo 180gal. protein skimmer and a Aqua Clear powerhead filter. 15lbs. of live show rock. I didn't put a floor on the bottom since I was still waiting for the right time to do it. I started the setup 2 weeks ago. 3 days ago I got a burst of brown algae and it was kinda slimmy so cleaned it up with a battery powered pump with a bag attatchment to strain the water. I got most of it but that where the Aqua Clear Powerhead filter comes in. It clean the water and all the loose algae and now it's gone. Question 1: Was that the wrong thing to do since I don't have a sand or gravel floor yet? 2: When is the best time to put a floor in the tank? Are my filters and powerhead doing it's job? My Ph=8.4 Nitrite 2.0 Ammonia 0ppm Nitrate0ppm that the reading so far. But I do have a Blue Damsel and 3 Turbo Snails to clean the rocks. Please let me know how I'm doing or if you have any suggestions Thank you.

 

[OrionGirl]

IMO, putting the substrate in should be done first--even before you add water. Otherwise, you'll need to remove water as it's displaced, remove the live rock so it's not buried, and alos deal with the cloudiness from pouring sand through the water column.

At this point, I'd probably pull everything out, put in the substrate, put everything back in, and go from there. Adding any kind of substrate through the water will be a PITA.

 

[corriewf]

You really need at least 1.5 pounds of live rock per gallon for proper filtration. Like OrionGirl said the substrate should be added first unless you plan to stick with bare bottom which is a preference some people have.

 

[DVFLer]

In your "fluval" pic.... is there normally some sort of barrier between that hose connection and the outlet behind it? Might be a good idea to put a board or something back there. I don't know how necessary it'd be, but perhaps a good precaution in case of a leak.

 

[alvarado41]

Thank you so much for the great input

Thank you for the great input everyone. I was thinking of putting Aragonite for the floor. I found some at Petco in a 20lbs. bag. It looks like it's in some type of water. Do you think that would work in keeping the water from getting cloudy? I will have to remove some water, but I do have my partner to help me hold the rock while I pour the gravel. With any luck, I will be able to get it done the right way. Thank you for your valuable feedback.

 

[plantman1028]

Tank Floor

Looks like your near the ending of your cycle.Soon the nitrites should reach 0 and your nitrates will go up.So i would say the filters are working but I would just use the fluval for water movement and take out the media out slowly before your nitrates start to really rise.As for the floor, You if you can get Southdown or Old Castle play sand then use that.I put 3 inches of that in my 55.Then on top of that I placed an order with Tampa Bay saltwater for the 15G package and added the live sand and rock.This seeded the sand I put in with all the worms,stars,snails,pods and all the other good stuff.Then you can add a little at a time.I am a firm believer in TBS,they have great customer service and their rock is loaded with life.If you have the funds IMO TBS is the way to get a great jumpstart in the hobby.It will save time and money(ha-ha) in the long run.TBS site is:
www.tampabaysaltwater.com